Godric's Hallow
by AmazingGrace36
Summary: Complete! For Harry Potter, heaven took the form of Godric's Hallow, Voldemort-free and filled with a loving family. But even there, Harry could not dismiss how much he loved and needed his friends, his Ginny.
1. I

**Godric's Hallow**

**Rating: **K  
**Warnings: **Mild language  
**Pairings:** Harry/Ginny, James/Lily, Ron/Hermione  
**Summary:** For Harry Potter, heaven took the form of Godric's Hallow. He soon settled easily into a Voldemort-free life filled with all he had ever longed for: a loving family and normalcy. Death, he decided, was sweet. But nagging thoughts of his old life hung above him like his own personal raincloud. It was there, in his parents' love filled home, that Harry could not dismiss how much he loved and needed his friends, his Ginny.

Here's part one of three. Enjoy!

* * *

The silence was relentlessly apparent, holding no peace or sense of calm whatsoever.

I couldn't feel any pain at all. My body didn't ache. Nothing was broken or bruised. In fact, I felt better than I had in quite a long time. Years, maybe.

Before I had a chance to observe anything more, my final memories hit me with all the force of the Whomping Willow. I had given myself up, as I'd been meant to do all along. And Voldemort had finally killed me, like he'd been itching to do for years.

I was dead, wasn't I? It wasn't like I could survive the killing curse _twice_.

What was I supposed to feel? Relief? Despair? Nothing?

Ignoring the question of my emotions, I began to examine my surroundings. I was laying facedown on carpet, the surface rough and scratchy beneath my cheek. Curious, I lifted myself from the floor and stood.

I was in a cozy living room, vaguely reminiscent of the Burrow. The walls were painted a comforting, creamy color, and the furniture, while it almost overcrowded the room, seemed to complete it. On the far wall was a crumbling brick fireplace and mantle, which was laden with many colorful photos, most moving, but some not. Mistletoe hung from the ceiling and holly twisted around the railing of the stairs. A Christmas tree, drooping low under the weight of many ornaments, stood in the corner of the room. A sea of presents surrounded the tree, stretching out in every direction.

A small kitchen stood adjacent to the living room. The surface of the table was barely visible beneath the assortment of bowls and plates atop it. Each gave off a tantalizing scent that, after months of eating flavorless wild mushroom soup, made my mouth water.

And behind the table was a sight that stole my breath away, just as it had moments ago. Lily stood, frozen, with a pot in hand. Beside her stood James, who was holding his wand unsurely in one hand and a pot holder in the other. Sirius stood behind them, a piece of bread hanging limply from his open mouth. Remus was in the kitchen by the sink, holding a glass of water. All of them stared at me with wide eyes and startled expressions.

I smiled sadly at them and announced, "I did it."

Having expected a "we're so proud of you, Harry" or something of the sort, I was surprised to see their faces scrunch in confusion.

Lily opened and closed her mouth in disbelief. "Harry?" she asked unsurely. I nodded.

"That's not Harry," James muttered. He stepped forward, scrutinizing me. "He's shorter than Harry, skinnier. And the scar Harry got from flying into the goal post last year is missing."

"Besides, Harry's still upstairs," Remus put in.

There was a short silence. Frightened and bewildered glances were exchanged and it seemed as though they were all trying to communicate with each other without actually speaking.

Lily turned toward the stairs and yelled, "Harry!"

After a short pause, a door burst open upstairs and footsteps thundered down the hall. A boy, maybe seventeen or eighteen, leapt down the stairs two at a time. He was tall and muscular with familiar messy black hair that stuck up in the back. He had glasses and a thin scar down the right side of his face. He grinned up at everyone when he reached the bottom.

"Dinner's ready? Oh, good. I'm starving." His eyes flickered expectantly between the stunned group and the table, then fell on me. His jaw dropped.

We stared at each other for a few moments, both stunned to see our own faces peering back at us.

It was then that I began to question my death. And my sanity. Perhaps I hadn't actually died. Perhaps I was lying in the hospital wing in a coma.

"Who's he?" The other Harry asked, affronted.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Remus answered calmly.

"How can you not know who I am?" I asked, frowning.

The bread fell from Sirius' mouth as he pointed out, "You just appeared out of thin air in middle of a warded house. You're covered in blood. You look a hell of a lot like Harry, but you're not. How are we supposed to know who you are?"

My eyebrow crinkled. Just moments ago, these people had comforted me as I'd marched toward my death. When I'd used the Resurrection Stone, they'd known exactly who I was and everything that had happened in my life. Why was now any different?

"I'm Harry Potter," I said, not sure how to go about the odd situation.

"No you're not!" The other Harry eyed me like I was mental.

"I am too," I argued. "What do I have to do to prove it to you? Show you my scar?"

I pushed back my bangs, revealing the lightning bolt scar on my forehead.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Sirius asked bluntly.

I gaped at him. Sure, it was odd they didn't immediately know who I was. But how could they not know it was me when I showed them my scar?

"Lily, I think you should go get Albus," James said quietly.

My heart gave a little leap at the mention of Dumbledore… alive.

Lily nodded and set down the pan on the table. Almost silently and moving with fluid grace, she strode to the fireplace and took the jar of floo powder. Throwing a handful of the green powder inside, she called,

"Hogwarts, Headmaster's office!"

She knelt down on the floor and her head disappeared into the green flames. As we waited for her to reappear, the room was filled with the tense silence once more. Sirius, who was never one for waiting patiently, fidgeted and James, too, shifted from one foot to the other with exaggerated sighs. Then, without warning, James turned around and threw a roll at Sirius, who ducked and threw his own half eaten piece of bread back with a wild yell.

"Lily," Remus sang warningly.

James and Sirius froze immediately, throwing guilty glances at Lily. Seconds later, her head emerged from the fireplace. She stood and brushed herself off with dignity, raising an eyebrow at James and Sirius.

Behind her, the fireplace burst forth with green flames. Out stepped Albus Dumbledore, wearing navy blue robes and a wizard's hat that was adorned with stars that twinkled and flickered.

I couldn't help but grin.

"Mum?" a soft voice called from the stairs.

A young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, stood at the top of the stairs. She had silky, auburn hair that almost reached her waist. She stared down at us with the same wide hazel eyes as James.

"Emma, sweetheart, why don't you come down here?" Lily asked.

"What's going on?" The girl, Emma, inquired. She stepped slowly down the stairs and, when she reached the bottom, approached Lily and wrapped both arms around her waist.

"Who is this?" I asked.

"Our daughter," James said.

I stared at Emma, wondering how she fit into this messed up little… whatever this was. I gave my head a small shake. Things were getting crazier and crazier by the minute.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and all attention returned to him. His gaze focused on me and he studied me for a long moment. Eventually, he smiled kindly and said, "Sit down, Harry."

He gestured toward the couch behind me and I immediately obeyed his request. The other Harry hesitated, then decided the invitation included him as well. He sat beside me, casting sideways glances my way every few seconds.

Dumbledore sat in the large, cushy chair opposite the couch. The others gathered on the remaining furniture, then turned their expectant gazes to Dumbledore. Emma sat between Lily and James on the other couch, looking even more bewildered than the rest of them.

"I'd like you to answer some questions for me, Harry," Dumbledore explained calmly. I nodded.

"What is your name?" he asked first.

"Harry James Potter."

"And who are your parents?"

"James and Lily Potter."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No."

"Do you have a godfather or a godmother?"

"Yeah, Sirius Black."

"What year are you in?"

"Technically, I'm a seventh year, but I haven't been to Hogwarts all year except for during the battle."

"Why haven't you been at school?"

"Horcrux hunting."

Dumbledore studied me intently. "How do you know of horcruxes?"

"You, Professor. You taught me about them during my sixth year. You were passing on the knowledge, I guess, since you knew you'd die before the end of the year."

Dumbledore stood up and began to pace the small space that was the living room. After a few moments, he stopped. Turning back to me, he asked,

"Who did these horcruxes belong to?"

My eyebrows scrunched together. "Excuse me?"

"To whom did the horcruxes belong?" repeated Dumbledore.

"Voldemort," I answered bluntly. There were no gasps or shudders, or any reaction to the name at all. Well, apart from confused expressions. "Don't tell me you don't know who Voldemort is!"

"Er, no. Sorry," James replied unsurely.

I stared at them in astonishment, mouth hanging open unattractively. My eyebrows were knitted together so tightly, I was beginning to get a headache.

"Please explain, Harry," Dumbledore said in a soft, but commanding, voice.

So I did. I explained everything to them, from how Voldemort had come into the world and risen to power, to how he'd made horcruxes, to my very life story. I paused often, waiting for them to come out and show some recognition. But they never did.

Instead, they were astonished about how much I knew of them, especially Remus being a werewolf, and the others being illegal Animagi. They were also surprised to find Pettigrew was a Death Eater and the one who had betrayed them in my world. I learned he had disappeared a few years after graduating Hogwarts here and had not been seen or heard from since.

When I was finally done speaking, the food on the table had grown cold and more than one stomach was rumbling loudly. I had talked for more than an hour.

I felt an odd sense of finality when I finished telling my story. The prophecy didn't matter anymore. I didn't have to face Voldemort again. The horror that was my life was over. I was free.

"You mentioned Ginny," Harry prompted worriedly.

"Yeah. She is… was my girlfriend."

Harry frowned slightly.

"Harry," Dumbledore began.

"No," Lily interrupted. "We can talk about all of this later. I know these boys won't last long this hungry. Their attention spans are short enough as it is. Do you care to join us for dinner, Albus?"

"My thoughts exactly and a generous offer, Lily, but I'm afraid there are some things I'd like to see to before we discuss this further," Dumbledore replied. He strode to the fireplace and took a handful of floo powder. "I will return as soon as I can."

He threw the floo powder into the fireplace and called out, "Hogwarts, Headmaster's office!" He disappeared in a flash of green flames.

James looked to Lily and asked hopefully, "Can we eat now?"

"Yes, we can," Lily laughed.

There was a scramble for seats at the table, then Lily and I were the only ones not staring eagerly at the meal before us. After warming the food with a wave of her wand, Lily glanced back at me.

"Are you joining us?" she asked.

"Er, I guess. Thank you."

I sat down next to James and quickly found out that was a seat best to be avoided. Sirius did not have the best aim, and I was soon bombed with peas meant for James.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Sirius cried. I peaked at him from behind my hands and sat back up warily.

"Sirius, please!" Lily sighed. "Can you at least _try_ to act civilized?"

Sirius just grinned.

I concentrated on my food and listened to the conversations around me. Lily and Remus were discussing an auror case while Harry and James were speaking intently on the past nights' Quidditch game.

Sirius' unusual silence was soon explained by a loud shout. "Look, look!" he shouted, tugging on James' sleeve. He pointed down at his plate and announced proudly, "It's a cabin."

It was quite the masterpiece. His carrots were arranged into a log cabin, held together with toothpicks. The cabin was surrounded by a forest of broccoli trees. Off to the side stood a mountain of mashed potatoes with a lake and river of butter. The river flowed down the mashed potatoes and into a canyon of beef.

"Nice one, Padfoot," James commented, grinning. Lily rolled her eyes.

James conspicuously gathered up his peas and drew his wand. With a flick of his wrist, the peas shot into the air and dove down onto Sirius' plate.

"We're under attack!" Sirius shouted frantically. "Under attack! Help me, Moony! HELP!"

When Remus did nothing but laugh, Sirius hovered over his plate, trying to protect it with his body.

The onslaught of pea bombs finally ended and Sirius straightened up.

"You have mashed potatoes in your hair," Emma informed Sirius, lips pressed tightly together to keep from laughing.

"Ha! It looks like you have dandruff!" James laughed.

Sirius wasn't paying attention, but trying to salvage his edible masterpiece, which was lying in ruins. His tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration.

Still chuckling, the rest of us turned back to our food and resumed eating.

"Oh! Oh!" Sirius exclaimed after a few minutes. He pointed down at his plate again, which was now arranged into a simple smiley face.

"Talented," Emma observed dryly.

"Very," Harry added.

Sirius, glowering, straitened up and asked, "So Emma, snogged anyone under the mistletoe this year? Maybe someone named… Blake? Hmmmm?"

Emma shrieked, offended and enraged. She turned to Lily. "Mum! Do something!"

"Sorry, sweetheart," Lily answered apologetically. "I gave up on controlling him years ago."

Emma huffed and stormed out of the room.

"Shouldn't-" I started, wondering why no one had gone after her.

"Oh, she'll be back," James assured me. I raised an eyebrow at him. He laughed and said simply, "There's pie."

This turned out to be true. Ten minutes later, when Lily cleared the table and brought out the pie, Emma returned. She sat back down, crossing her arms over her chest, and proceeded to pretend Sirius didn't exist.

When everyone was contently eating their pie, Harry turned to me and frowned.

"Ginny," he said shortly, mouth full of pie.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Lily admonished.

Harry swallowed. "Have you snogged her?"

All eyes turned to me and I felt the heat rising in my cheeks.

"Harry!" Lily chided. "That is an inappropriate thing to ask."

"Well, I wanna know if he's snogged my girlfriend or not!" Harry protested.

"You'll just have to wonder, then, because he doesn't have to tell you something so personal," Lily replied indignantly.

"It's okay, really," I told her. Turning to Harry, I said defensively, "Of course I've snogged Ginny. She was my girlfriend, you dolt."

Harry was silent for a few moments. "Well, tomorrow's going to be awkward," he muttered.

"What's tomorrow?" I asked.

"It took a lot of persuading, but Mrs. Weasley finally decided to let Ginny come to dinner tomorrow night," Harry informed me. "It's gonna be the best Christmas Eve ever. You see, I convinced Mum to put up some extra mistletoe. There's no way Ginny will escape _these_ lips!"

"Christmas?" I repeated quietly, trying my hardest to ignore that last comment.

"Yes. Christmas," Harry said absently, a dreamy look in his eyes and a crooked grin on his lips.

I shook my head again. It was useless to try and figure out what was going on here. I didn't know why I was even trying.

Lily stood and began collecting the dirty dishes. I jumped up, eager to help. I grabbed two of the pans and transferred them to the kitchen counter.

"Oh, Harry. You don't have to do that, dear," Lily protested, placing the plates in the sink.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're going to get any other help," I pointed out. I nodded toward James and Sirius, who were currently engaged in a spatula sword fight.

Lily sighed. "True. Very true."

Lily and I quickly washed the dishes, a process greatly aided by Lily's wand.

"Thank you for dinner," I said when we were finally finished. "It was wonderful."

She gave an sincere smile and opened her mouth to reply. But then she spotted Sirius and James, who were still jabbing at each other with their spatulas.

"James! Sirius!" she yelled, exasperated. "Give me the spatulas…"

They reluctantly padded over to her and handed over the "swords."

"And for God's sake, Sirius, get the mashed potatoes out of your hair before it gets in my carpet!" Lily cried.

With a look of innocence, Sirius picked a bit of potato from his hair and popped it in his mouth.

Lily groaned and muttered, "Ridiculous! No wonder his mother couldn't stand him."

* * *

When Dumbledore emerged from the fireplace half an hour later, I was beginning to wonder if Sirius and James were ever even remotely serious. Since the spatula fight, they had tried to peak at their Christmas presents, had set off fireworks _inside _the house, and traded Lily's wand with one that transformed into a rubber chicken when waved.

Luckily, things quieted down the moment Dumbledore stepped into the living room. Without having to be told, everyone resumed their places on the couches and chairs.

"I must first apologize, Harry," Dumbledore began. The other Harry began to inquire upon which Harry, but Lily quickly shushed him. "I do not know how you came to be here."

For a brief moment, I felt like ripping all my hair out. I wanted information! Was that so much to ask for? For years, no had ever told me anything, and it usually resulted in someone's death.

Then I took a deep breath, deciding to keep my hair where it was. There was no way I was going to act like a spoiled brat in front of my parents. Besides, if I was dead, then perhaps no one could die here. And they were all already dead, weren't they?

"I'm sorry I cannot provide you with any more inform-"

"It's alright," I said quickly. "I think I know how I got here, anyway."

Dumbledore looked inquiring at me.

"I died," I explained, my head beginning to pound from the effort of attempting to understand it all.

"Mental," Harry muttered under his breath.

Dumbledore nodded, apologized again, and began a hushed conversation with Lily and James.

Harry and I sat awkwardly in silence on the couch, fidgeting. Neither of us wanted to leave; I, for one, couldn't seem to break my automatic habit of eavesdropping even though the conversation was too quiet to hear.

We were saved from boredom after only a few minutes when Lily and James' conversation with Dumbledore ended and all three stood.

"Thank you, James, Lily," Dumbledore said solemnly.

"Of course, Albus," Lily smiled. "We can't imagine doing this any differently."

"I will see you in a few days time, then." Dumbledore stepped to the fireplace and took a handful of floo powder. "Happy Christmas, everyone."

Somewhere amidst the calls of "Happy Christmas," Dumbledore threw the floo powder into the fireplace and disappeared.

Silence lingered a few seconds after he had gone, then Lily sighed.

"Off to bed, then," she announced.

Emma groaned. "Mum! It's not even nine yet!"

"Today was a long day, and tomorrow will be as well. Go on."

Muttering under her breath, Emma headed for the stairs. At the bottom, without pausing or turning, she mumbled grudgingly, "Goodbye, Sirius. Goodbye, Remus."

"Bye, Emma!" Sirius shouted after her. "Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the bedbugs bite!"

"Come on, Harry," Lily said, addressing Harry and I as one.

Harry and I followed her up the stairs and into the second bedroom on the right. The room was decorated as brightly as Ron's, if not more so. The walls were plastered with posters of various Quidditch teams and even a Muggle football team, as well as a large Gryffindor banner. The room was speckled with books and parchment, and was littered with dirty clothes. A trunk sat open at the end of a red and gold bed. A snowy owl, who I recognized with a swoop of my stomach, was perched in an open cage on the desk.

Lily cleared away the mess on the floor with a wave of her wand and conjured a small bed against the far wall.

"You can sleep here tonight, Harry," she explained. "You can borrow some of Harry's things. If you need anything, just ask."

"Thank you," I said with a yawn.

Ten minutes later, clad in a pair of Harry's broom and snitch pajamas, I crawled into my bed. I curled into a ball, my back to the other Harry. Despite thoughts of everything I had discovered here and the world I had left behind flitting through my mind like a snitch on steroids, I soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

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	2. II

Here's part two of three. Enjoy!

_

* * *

__Around me, there was nothing but darkness. The cool air held a horrible stench, one that was all too familiar. It was a mix of the peppery smell of dust and the rusty smell of blood. The air was tainted by the overpowering, lingering sensation of spells and magic. _

_I reached my hand out tentatively and felt cold stone beneath my fingers. Using the stone wall as a guide, I inched my way forward, stumbling over the mounds of debris in my path. _

_Then, without warning, a blinding bright light shone all around me. I buried my face in my hands, trying to protect my eyes. After a short time, I lifted my head. _

_A girl stood in front of me, leaning against the wall and breathing heavily. Her chest heaved beneath her school robes and her brilliant red hair flitted around her in the soft breeze. Sweat soaked her front and streamed down her face like tears. Her chocolate eyes darted from one corner of the room to the other, never resting and never loosing fear. _

Ginny_._

_I stepped toward her, knowing something was wrong and desperately wanting to make it right._

_She pulled her hair up out of her face, and fastened it with a hair tie. A stray piece fell out of the tight ponytail and she tugged at it with contempt. From the irritated, angry expression on her face, I knew the idea of hexing all her hair away would soon cross her mind. Frustrated tears began to pool in her eyes and she wiped them angrily away._

_A man stepped out of the shadows behind Ginny, dressed in black robes. He was tall and slender, moving with grace. His hand was tightly closed around a dark wand and his expression was consumed by a malicious smile. _

_Before Ginny realized what was happening, the man wrapped one arm around her waist and dug the tip of his wand into her neck. _

_I started forward, reaching for my wand, only to stop in a panic. I couldn't find my wand. I couldn't find it anywhere. My eyes raked the debris on the floor. Had I lost it somewhere?_

_I looked back at Ginny, watching the fear drain from her eyes like sand in an hourglass. The fear was replaced by nothing less than a weary sadness. _

_The man trailed his hand along Ginny's stomach. _

_I surged toward them, forgetting for a moment that I was simply scrawny and weak without a wand. Only feet from the pair, my foot caught on a large piece of debris. I tripped and flailed, somehow managing to land on my back just in front of Ginny and her captor._

_Ginny stared sadly down at me. The corners of her mouth were tugged reluctantly upward for the briefest of moments in a weak smile that was probably meant to comfort me._

_The man stepped around Ginny and stood, facing her. He lifted his wand and grinned. _

_Ginny looked the man in the eyes, but it was to me she spoke. _

"_I love you, Harry."_

"Avada Kedavra!"

I woke with a start, bolting upright. My breathing was heavy and frantic. My wide eyes searched the darkness for any trace of Ginny, but I found none. Soft breathing alerted me to the presence of another and, after a moments' confusion, I realized it was the other Harry. It all came back to me then. The Gringotts' break-in, the search for the last of the Horcruxes, the battle, and walking into death's hands. And, of course, being here in Godric's Hallow.

I sighed quietly, rolling over on the bed. Through the darkness, I stared at the small section of blank wall before me.

When I had first arrived here, it had not been difficult to accept my death. It had not been a struggle to come to terms with the fact that everything was over.

But I hadn't realized what I had lost.

Sure, I no longer had to deal with Voldemort or the prophecy, and all those who were dead were here with me. But Ginny… Who knew how long it would be before I could kiss Ginny again? Or see Ron and Hermione, or any of the Weasleys, or Neville, or Luna.

My heart twisted in my chest. Oh, how I longed for Ginny. How I longed for them all.

I thought back on my life, on the things I had accomplished. I had, of course, done much. I had done everything from saving lives to destroying little bits of soul. The amount of times I had encountered Voldemort couldn't even be counted on one hand.

I had even fallen in love.

But there were many things I hadn't had a chance to do. I hadn't graduated from Hogwarts. I hadn't become an auror. I hadn't married Ginny. I hadn't had children.

I sighed. There were so many things I'd hoped for in my future even though I had always known living to be twenty was not very likely. Adults, especially the professors, had always spoken of how school was preparing us for the rest of our lives. I'd always hated those lectures, as I'd always known the rest of my life would consist of just a few sure things: pain, loss, and death, and a life where my grades would matter was not one of them. But my mind had still entertained the thought of _some_ kind of future. Those thoughts had always just been wistful thinking.

And now, in the presence of those who I had missed and somehow living the life I had always longed for, nothing felt right. I had never felt so alone.

Now that I was dead and with my family, I would give anything to be alive and able to start one of my own.

Feeling hopelessly alone, I stared quietly at the wall until the light began to leak into the room. When I finally deemed it light enough, I crept out of Harry's room and down into the kitchen.

The house was still silent and I wasn't brave enough to search for food, so I settled for simply sitting at the kitchen table, tracing the grain in the wood. I was surprised at how satisfying it felt to do absolutely nothing, something I hadn't been able to truly do for years.

The house began to stir not long after I situated myself in the kitchen. Lily was the first to come downstairs. She started when she saw me.

"Good morning," she said, still blinking in surprise. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," I lied. "Did you?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied, smiling.

She waved her wand a few times. Two frying pans, a spatula, a carton of eggs, and a large package of sausage settled onto the counter and the stove. Lily began to crack the eggs into a pan, speaking to me over her shoulder.

"I was surprised to see you up so early. Our Harry isn't much of a morning person."

"Oh, I'm not either," I told her. "But I got used to not sleeping much this year."

Lily sighed sympathetically, shaking her head, and continued cooking in silence.

As the scent of sausages filled the house, the other occupants began to awake.

James stumbled down the stairs first, eyes still half closed. He plopped down into the chair next to me, grunting an almost indiscernible "good morning," and stared blearily at Lily.

Harry came next, greeting his parents and I enthusiastically. He hid in the shadows of the kitchen, waiting until the opportune moment to snatch a sausage out of the pan. He then retreated to the kitchen table, looking inconspicuous when Lily returned to the pan and noticed a sausage missing.

Emma came downstairs only when Lily yelled up at her that breakfast was ready. I quickly realized she was not a morning person. She stomped down the stairs and sat in the nearest chair. She glared at anyone who dared look at her, which was mainly me, since everyone else knew to avoid her gaze.

We ate in relative silence. Harry seemed too enthusiastic to stay quiet so long, but it seemed even he was wary of getting his head bitten off by his sister.

When breakfast was finished, everyone wandered off to their own little corners of the house. Harry left with a proclamation that Ginny would be there in two hours and forty-two minutes. No, scratch that… Two hours and forty-one minutes.

I felt an odd twist in my stomach at the mention of Ginny, my dream and the thoughts that had succeeded it still fresh in my mind. At the same time, my heart leapt into my throat and I found myself watching the clock almost as eagerly as Harry in the two hours and forty-one minutes that followed his announcement.

When the hands of the clock in the kitchen finally struck the highly anticipated hour, Harry was sitting on the stairs, staring at the fireplace with a stupid grin on his face. I was sitting at the kitchen table again, watching Lily bake a pie the Muggle way.

Five minutes later, Harry was pacing anxiously through the living room, muttering about possible disasters that could have befallen Ginny.

The fireplace roared to life with the telltale green flames.

Ginny stepped out of the flames and carefully brushed off her clothes, straitening her shirt. She gave Harry a hug and a brief kiss on the lips before coming into the kitchen to say hello to Lily. That's when I got a good look at her.

Her silky red hair glistened in the sunlight that was streaming through the kitchen windows. She was wearing jeans and a simple tee-shirt that I knew she must be comfortable in as Ginny would never wear any clothes that were otherwise. Her brown eyes shone with genuine contentment, something I rarely saw in my Ginny's eyes.

She was even more beautiful than I remembered, more beautiful than she had been in my dream.

When she noticed me staring, Ginny sent me a bright smile.

"Hey, soul mate," she greeted.

Harry and I both looked at her oddly.

Ginny laughed. It was the sweetest sound I'd ever heard. "Harry told me you're dating me in your world, too. That leaves no doubt that we're soul mates."

I smiled back at her. I liked the sound of that… soul mates.

"Chess, Harry?" Ginny inquired, looking impishly up at Harry.

"You're on!" Harry challenged, his lips quirking up in a lopsided smile.

"I hope you've been practicing. I would hate for you to lose as horribly as you did last time." Ginny threw a smile over her shoulder at me, winking.

My answering smile steadily evaporated as I watched them settle down for a game of Wizarding Chess. The longing tightened its hold on me again until my chest hurt so bad I wondered if I was having a heart attack.

I escaped to Harry's room then, leaving Harry and Ginny to their game of chess. I stole a Quidditch magazine from Harry's desk to keep myself occupied.

A few hours and two Quidditch magazines later, I heard footsteps coming to a stop just in front of Harry's room.

"Harry?" Lily poked her head in the door. "Would you like to come to the church service with me?"

"Really?" Lily nodded and I flung the magazine across the room back onto Harry's desk. "Of course!"

"Wonderful! I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

With that, she smiled and retreated back down the stairs.

I scrambled up from the bed, swiped a coat from Harry's closet, and was at the front door in about ten seconds.

"Thank you for coming with me, Harry," Lily said as she shrugged her jacket on. "I love going to the service on Christmas Eve, but I hate having to sit alone."

"Doesn't anyone come with you?"

"Well, Emma does, but she usually sits with her friend, Kristen. James and Sirius would never be able to sit through an entire service without causing _some_ sort of disaster. Remus is the only one I trust to be able to keep them from burning the house down. And Harry would rather hang out with Ginny than anything else."

One glance at the pair, engaged in a game of Exploding Snap, confirmed that. I was just glad they weren't snogging or anything.

"Now, we need to change your appearance a bit, Harry," Lily explained.

She pulled out her wand, swished it around a bit, and stuffed it back in her pocket with a satisfied smile.

Godric's Hallow looked almost exactly as I remembered it as Lily, Emma, and I walked down the lane to the quaint little church, snow crunching loudly beneath our shoes. The sight of the graveyard across the lane made me shiver; I was glad when we reached the church and I was forced to tear my eyes away from the graveyard.

Lily pulled open one of the big wooden doors and ushered us into the church. A gust of warm air and a middle aged man with little packets of paper greeted us as we entered.

"Happy Christmas, Lily, Emma," he said cheerfully. "And who is this?"

"Er..." was all I could manage before Lily rescued me.

"James' nephew, Josh," Lily answered easily. "His family is visiting for the holiday."

"Well, I'm so glad you're here, Josh. Tell James 'Happy Christmas' for me, won't you, Lily?"

"Of course, Will. Happy Christmas."

"The service will be starting in just a few minutes," Will informed us.

Voicing her thanks, Lily ushered us through a door into another room I assumed was the sanctuary. It was lined with wooden benches and the windows were all stained glass. A man with sandy hair, dressed in white robes, was standing in front of a big table, chatting with someone in the front row.

"There's Kristen," Emma said suddenly, breaking me away from my observations. "See ya."

Emma quickly ran off to sit with a blonde girl about her age. Lily, rolling her eyes at Emma, snagged the nearest pew.

Sitting beside Lily, I continued to gaze curiously around the church. I'd never been to church before. The Dursleys had never gone, and even if they had, I wouldn't have been able to go with them.

The man in the robes began to speak then, wishing us all a Happy Christmas in his deep, warm voice.

Lily, smiling contently, slipped her arm around my shoulder. I froze, unsure of what to do. The act was so foreign to me. But after a second, I gave into my instincts and rested my head on her shoulder.

She hugged me close and I allowed my smile to echo hers.

* * *

I awoke the next morning to a chorus of screaming.

"Presents!"

"Can we open them?" Another voice pleaded loudly.

"Breakfast first," came the stern reply.

"Can we open them _now_? Please, Lily?"

Someone chuckled. "Lily, you lose this argument every year. I don't understand why you even try anymore."

"I guess I'm just hoping they'll grow up sooner or later."

"Yes, well..."

"Mum!" A voice whined loudly. "I'm not even hungry yet!"

"Fine... We should wait for Harry, though."

"I'm right here!"

"Lily, don't you think that would be a little inconsiderate?" someone fretted. "I mean, he doesn't really have a family to share this with and it might make him feel left out."

"I guess," she acquiesced.

"Me first, me first!"

The sounds of a struggle echoed up the stairs. There was a loud shattering noise, then the house fell silent.

"Oops."

As I finally forced myself out of bed, I could hear the commotion downstairs resume. I made my way out of Harry's room and down the hall. I paused on the bottom stair, wrapping my arm around the banister as I observed the living room.

Lily and James were seated on one of the couches, Remus was in an armchair, and the others were sitting on the floor, beginning to pass the presents around according to their labels.

"Why don't you open one first, Emma?" Lily suggested.

Emma nodded eagerly and began to rip open one of the presents in her lap. She withdrew a few items of clothing from the box and squealed.

"Just what I wanted! Thanks!"

"Of course, dear. I'm glad you like it," Lily said, smiling. "Why don't you open the next one, Harry?"

"Yes!" Harry cried. He took the largest of the packages that surrounded him and began to rip it open.

Unnoticed by the others, James snaked his arm around Lily's waist and pulled her close. She leaned into him, planting a kiss on his forehead.

Harry uttered a wordless cry as he tore the last piece of wrapping from his present. He held up his new broom, which had a handle so glossy it glittered brilliantly in the dim light, and flaunted it to Sirius and Remus. A grin plastered on his face, he looked up at Lily and James.

"Thanks!" He cried, wrapping his arms around their legs.

"I get second go!" James called.

"No fair!" Sirius cried in protest. He folded his arms across his chest and pouted.

Lily smiled, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure Harry will let you have a go, Padfoot," Remus said reassuringly, patting Sirius on the shoulder.

"Sirius, why don't you open one?" Lily suggested.

Sirius perked right up, forgetting his troubles, and dived toward the Christmas tree. He popped up seconds later, a box in hand.

He tore the wrapping paper off as fast as he could, then pulled the lid off the box. The jubilant expression fell off his face as he extracted a thin, leather book.

"A book?" he questioned incredulously, looking up at Lily. "Really, Lily?"

"Open it, Sirius," Lily encouraged.

Sirius, looking very disappointed, turned to the first page. His expression brightened visibly.

"_One Hundred and One Memorable Pranks,_" he read aloud. "Thanks, Lils!"

"I saw a few in there that you hadn't thought of yet. It shocked me, to tell the truth," Lily said with a laugh.

"Hey Padfoot!" James called. "Get me that box over there, will ya?"

After placing the book carefully aside, Sirius crawled back over to the Christmas tree and retrieved the indicated box. He threw it back to James, who handed it to Lily.

Lily carefully peeled away the wrapping paper and opened the box. She looked up at James, a small, adoring smile on her face.

"Oh James!" She murmured. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," James replied with a proud grin.

Lily leaned in placed her lips to James'.

"Mum!" Harry groaned, clapping a hand over his eyes. Emma rolled her eyes and sifted through the presents underneath the tree.

"Hey!" Sirius cried. "No snogging! There are children present!"

This only encouraged James, who started kissing Lily harder.

"I'm gonna barf," Harry muttered, peaking out from behind his hand.

I grinned as I watched the family before me. It was easy, seeing as how Lily had hair the same color as Ginny and I looked so similar to James, to imagine Ginny and I in their place. I could easily imagine us with a few kids, packed into the Burrow with Ron, Hermione, and their family, along with the rest of the Weasleys. I could easily imagine us happy and in love.

After a few happy seconds, my heart twisted in my chest and the grin slid off my face. Ginny and I would never be in their place, I knew. Never.

When they finally broke apart, Lily's breathing was heavier than it had been moments ago. Her face flushed as she turned back to the others.

"Harry!" She exclaimed when she spotted me, looking relieved to have a distraction. "How long have you been standing there? Come sit down with us."

I maneuvered my way through the torn wrapping paper until I reached the couch.

"We didn't have time to get you a proper present," Lily explained, sounding embarrassed. "But we did get you this."

She strode over to the tree and picked up a fairly large gift bag, then handed it to me. I opened it and was surprised to find it full of every kind of candy imaginable, both muggle and magic. It was more than I'd expected.

"Thank you," I said earnestly.

"I'm sorry we couldn't –" started Lily.

"It's fine," I interrupted. "Being here is more than enough. Besides, Christmas was just a few months ago for me." _Not that it was much of one_, I continued silently, thinking of the eventful visit to Lily and James' graves.

To my glee, this Christmas turned out to be one of the best I'd ever had. We spent almost the entire day outside in the snow. Remus, Sirius, and James created life-size reflections of their Animagus/werewolf forms. Lily constructed a hollow snow castle large enough to fit one or two people inside. Emma built an army of your basic snowmen, at least ten and all unique. Harry, however, stuck with a basic snow fort, complete with a supply of various sized snowballs that proved useful during the snowball fight. I built life-sized replicas of all Voldemort's horcruxes, including myself and Voldemort, just so I could smash them all to little bits like I had seen Dudley do so often during a tantrum.

By the end of the day, after dinner and a hot cup of coco, I collapsed onto my cot, exhausted. I quickly fell asleep and lost myself to the dream world, which would soon prove to be so much more.

* * *

Only one more chapter till we reach the end. Please leave a review and tell me what you think.


	3. III

Here's part three of three and my personal favorite! It's short, but I hope it's the happy ending you were looking for!

* * *

_I was standing under a marquee in the garden of the Burrow, which was reminiscent of how it had been for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Gold and white flowers twisted deftly around the support polls. On either side of a long purple carpet sat rows and rows of delicate golden chairs._

_These chairs were filled with people, most of whom I knew and a few I did not. Mrs. Weasley sat in the front row, tears rolling down her smiling face as Fleur patted her arm kindly. Fleur, I was surprised to see, had a golden-haired baby in her arms. Bill sat beside his wife, grinning at George, who looked oddly small without his twin beside him. Charlie sat beside him, trying to hold back a laugh. _

_Behind them sat Mrs. Tonks, holding a four-year-old with turquoise hair. _

"_You're nearly as bad as your mother, Teddy," she was saying. "Turquoise is far from acceptable for a _wedding_."_

_Teddy closed his eyes and when he opened them moments later, his hair was bright pink. When his grandmother sighed in exasperation, Teddy burst out into laughter. George turned around and gave him a high five._

_Neville and Luna were sitting together further back, along with most of the other Gryffindors in our year. Others I recognized from Hogwarts were sitting amongst the crowd as well. _

_A hand clapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see Ron standing beside me, a huge grin on his face. _

"_I'm sure you won't mess up too horribly," he said. "After all, Hermione and I made it through without making complete fools of ourselves."_

"_Oh, Ronald," a voice sighed. Hermione approached us, going to stand on the other side of the small platform. She was in a flowing gold dress and small, white flowers adorned her hair. She rested one hand on the tell-tale bump of her stomach. _

_Only after she'd rolled her eyes at Ron did she offer me an encouraging smile. _

_Suddenly, everyone stood. _

_And there she was, standing at the end of the aisle in a long, white gown. Her Aunt Muriel's tiara was perched delicately in the mass of red hair. Despite the slight breeze, not a single hair was out of place. She was the epitome of beauty. _

"Ginny_," I breathed. _

_My stomach did a summersault as she took a step forward, her father at her elbow. Music swelled up from all around us as the two slowly made their way up the aisle. _

_When they finally reached me, Mr. Weasley took Ginny's hand and placed it in mine. He moved away to his seat with watery eyes. Ginny and I turned to face the small, tufty-haired wizard who had presided over both Dumbledore's funeral and Bill's wedding. _

"_Ladies and Gentlemen," he began in a slightly singsong voice. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls. It is…"_

_His voice faded into the background noises of sniffling and nose-blowing as I stared into Ginny's tear-filled eyes. She smiled softly at me and I smiled back. _

"_I do," she said suddenly, looking back at the wizard. _

_The small wizard turned to me next and said, "And do you, Harry James, take Ginerva Molly to have and to hold, from this day forward? For better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to have and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"_

_I opened my mouth to say the words I was dying to say but Ginny interrupted me. _

"_Harry," she said. I turned to her, mouth slightly agape in disbelief. Smiling, she continued, "You understand you have a choice, don't you? You can stay and move on, or you can come back and finish what you started."_

"_I… I don't understand," I told her, unsure._

"_Harry, you can come back. You can come back to where this," she gestured around her, "is possible. Or, you can move on to whatever's next. It's your choice, and I will love you no matter what path you take."_

_I nodded as I realized what she was saying. I wasn't dead. Not yet._

"_Do you choose to come back?" Ginny asked patiently. _

_I searched her eyes, seeing the love and genuine happiness there. My mind reeled with thoughts of everything that was possible… defeating Voldemort for good, graduating from Hogwarts, marrying Ginny, having children, becoming an Auror. _

"_I do."_

* * *

I hoped you enjoyed my version of the _King's Cross_ chapter of Deathly Hallows. Please let me know what you thought of it!


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